Table Of Elements

Magnesium is a very important element. Its atomic number is 12, its atomic mass is 24.305, its chemical symbol is Mg. Magnesium is an Alkaline Earth metal, which means that it is in family 2. Most life on earth depends on chlorophyll, which is a magnesium compound that enables plants to make food. This element is the 8th most abundant element on Earth. It makes up 2.5% of the Earth's crust and it has 3 isotopes that occur naturally which are 24, 25, and 26. The 4 most important magnesium minerals are: brucite, dolomite, magnesite, and olivine.

      Magnesium has many different properties. It is a solid (state of matter) in the form of metal in certain circumstances. It is lightweight, but strong as a metal. Pure magnesium is silvery white, soft, ductile, and is a malleable metal that oxidizes in the air. It is a very highly reactive metal and it dissolves in acids. This element slowly decomposes in boiling water and it is one of the most important metals in both plants and animals.

      Sir Humphrey Davy announced in 1808 that he had isolated a new element, magnesium, from the hitherto unknown magnesium oxide, which he discovered. Antoine Bussy is credited for the discovery of this metal and isolated larger and purer amounts in 1828.

      Magnesium is also used in galvanic anode to prevent corrosion in pipelines, storage tanks, the hulls of ships, home water heaters, and oil tanks. Also, it is used as a source of light in some flashbulbs, fireworks, and pyrotechnics; when divided, magnesium burns in the air with an intense white light. It is used in incendiary bombs, the production of titanium -and zirconium, catalyst in some organic chemical reactions, the manufacture of copper and nickel alloys, and magnesium alloys are used as structural materials for the fuselages of airplanes, guided missiles, electronic equipment, portable tools, baseball catchers masks, snowshoes, skis, boats, horseshoes, luggage, ladders, and racing cars. Magnesium is also made into a fine wire that burns so bright, that it is used in some photographic flashes. This element is also used in fireworks to produce brilliant white.

      Magnesium is produced and divided in two separate ways. 20% of the magnesium that is produced in the world is extracted from roasted dolomite by thermal reduction. The other 80% is extracted from seawater by the electrolytic method.

      The biological significance of magnesium is very interesting. An average adult contains25 grams of this element. It does many different things in the body, and it is found in many different foods, such as: meats, cereals, vegetables, and milk. An average adult ingests 300 milligrams of magnesium each day. Also, kidneys regulate the amount of magnesium in the body; overdoses of this element may result from failure of the kidneys, hormonal disruption, or use of too much magnesium as a drug.

      Magnesium is also found in many different compounds. Magnesium carbonate is used as a filler for paper, in cosmetics, fire-resistant and insulating materials, and for clarifying drinking water. Magnesium sulfate is marketed as Epsom salts, which are used as laxatives. It is also used in medicine to treat arthritis and to treat burns. This element is also used for the tanning of leather, the dyeing of textiles, ceramics, explosives, and the manufacturing of matches. Also, milk of magnesia is used as an antacid and as a laxative.

      Magnesium is a very interesting element. The technical data is very impressive. It is very neat to know the many properties of magnesium and to know how it reacts with different things. It s also cool to see all that magnesium is used for and how it can help us in our everyday life.

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